Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-27
PHANTOM OR J0KEY
lcnina IN NOW York rlmes. !

of chatterors, who range from the beauty
nved about ten years ago to the latest
infant phenomenon of the private
dancing classes. She is sought for heI
own sake quite as much as for her sur
roundings by all men who love woman
illness unaffected and unspoiled.
Standing near her ~ she received the
last corners and babe farewell 10 the
earliest of the birds of flight, we had
time TO exchange q few notes on the
scene before ms.
"What am 70 do?" she was saying.
1.-THE men nowadays won't talk TO a
woman unless il is t6te-i-fete. Observe
how cross that youth locks when
Tommy Moore comes up and joins in
the conversation. Isn't it ridiculous
He will edge away in moment, look
ing supremcly lofty and Disguised"
perhaps" answered, "that comes
from the fact that women nowadays
don't know how 10 entertain several men
at once
"Oh, Of course ! Always the fault
Of us poor women----"
ono | mean no gibe, and it may be
mutual Conversation such as 1t must
have been sixty years ago does not exist
any moro. ] myself know some who
inherit the traditions Of the past. y
Thank you kindly she dropped
me courtesy.
But, seriously, the women will not
take the trouble. Look there ! Miss
Ralston is considered a very clever
girl-in Philadelphia-yet she delibe-
rately turns her back on two men and
talks pointedly 10 Harry Hunter We
know she docs not care a straw for
Harry Hunter. Long ago he deserted
her for the younger and richer girls
more in vogue than she, and yet in her
contracted world the cotillon leader is
king. We've both heard her opinion
Of him. Don't you remember ? 1t was
as If he were a chicken impaled on
fork. and with each slice of the knife
one virtue after another fell away
wing, br, asst leg, merry thought, and
all until the poor boy was brandished,
a. il were, q wretched carcass before
Cur faces,
"Um The Simac of chef! Try
something more poetical the next
time.
"Ihere Is improvement in some
things. 1 continued, notwithstand-
ing the dcarth OF conversation dress,
FIR instance. Women nowadays dOnot
all consider themselves bound TO dress
alike. That being so, there is a hope
that here and there woman may study
OPPORTUNITIES and adapt her garments
10 herself, and not to the mOdiSfc8 lay
figures. There is that delightful cos
tune Of the First Empire, for instance,
which our grandmothers wore-'
Mrs. de Sille gave a skeptlcal smile.
of it's the indecency you like, I'm
sure there are dresses to-day that ought
to satisfy YOU"
q" But it is not the indecency / like,
for | sec none in it Dress and no
dress are conventions. For Heavens
sake let rs have our conventions beau
ti.ui :"
Il forgive you" said the hostess,
turning to some departing guests
For arts sake is good cry and will
20 iar-if ii is not used for cloak to
bas, ness.
The long picture-rOom where the
dance went on was hung with paintings
that represented a deep purse rather
tmn wide knowledge of art but
there were half dozen pictures out of
the hundred that one might live with.
Could one say that, / unused, OF the
people who gabbled and shufled and
ivaddlCd below then, without ever
casting them a glance f? Perhaps the
allusion TO the dress of the First En-
pire made me alert TO see what I
would not have noted other
wise But there, across the heads
% the social dervishes who whirlcd in
blind obedience 20 the law of circular
motion implanted in some animals and
a.luen-there, behind the palms on the
deep gallery at the end of the room,
sat lady in complete Empire dress.
Oddly enough, she was alone. The
palms partially concealed her head, and
a fan OF the kind that venice fabricated
IN the last century with cOnsummate
taste effectually hid her face. lstartad,
very much as the visitor to the Muse
Eden starts on finding that q figure
seated in chair is of wax, not flesh
and blood. Somehow she looked I'M
real.
Mis-. de Sille was alone for mo-
mint and rejoined her.
"Speaking Of Empire dresses, who |
is the lady yonder who wears, ii know
enough of II subject l do not pretend |
TO master, "a complete Empire dress, !
and looks as If her hair-dresser had |
Lad the wit to copy an old print in
order to carry the fancy ont
Mrs. dc sile did not look She
smiled good-humoredly.
You elderly men," here she gave
mea wicked glance, "are too amusing
Nh,n!Cu think You know something
ai cut vomau's dress You are much
nicer when young, for you do not pre-
t,nd 70 know Not one of my guests
wears an Empire dress tonight, though
s,me have them at home" And she
laughed laugh from which widowhood
ard the loss OF more than one lovely
'i.lo had not rubbed the silver.
"Ch, very well" saidI. "Perhaps
you wall ccndescend from your Olympus
'iulllinery and tell what the dress is
ilat tie lady up there has on. She
seems TO lave carried the dearth of con
luMton so far that nobody will talk to
l.T.'
,irs. de sille put up her tortoise shell
Classes with pretty wrinkiing smile,
fixed the figure for moment, put them
Gown, and looked rather blank
Positively, | do not know. She has
io' said good-evening to me, that / can
swear, or she has changed her dress
since.
It's rather queer, too, said |, "that
oprctty a woman, as far rs figure goes
oor cannot make out the face, should
taye escaped me. As We get on i'll life
We crow horribly fastidious and know
al the finest women by sight. even
To the backs of their heads Who can
20 be-"
Tie hostess beckOned 10 Tommy
Moore and asked him, but that beatific
youth ayerred that he didn't know her
nom Eve Reproving him with a
glance, Mrs dc Sille returned to the
cleipc.
lake me round the room, and by
Oh time We get to the big Bouguereau
wager you theatre party i know who